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Eric Jay Santos’ passion for words has him living his childhood dreams.
A life-long New Bedford resident, the 26-year-old is receiving international acclaim for the songs he has written, his coverage of the NBA for Sports Illustrated, and his work as a multilingual language teacher at the Global Learning Charter School in the city’s North End.
In 2020, Santos released his first full-length record, “Eccentric,” under the pseudonym Ewreckage, a nickname he took on in high school. Since then, he has put out three more full lengths – “Ruby,” “Iconic,” and “Classe Mundial.” In April of this year he posted “Eric,” a 13-track compilation of his most popular songs, based primarily on the number of hits they have received from online listeners.
His songs have earned him attention throughout America and Europe. Among his accolades and accomplishments, he holds the record for the most No. 1 albums by a male artist on iTunes Portugal. His albums have reached No. 1 on the iTunes charts in India, South Africa, and Indonesia as well. He is a two-time nominee for “Pop Album of the Year” at the Josie Music Awards, an event that celebrates the music of independent musicians from around the world. Santos does not have a manager or a record label, and funds all of his music projects himself.
In addition to being featured in the Portuguese-American publication, O Jornal, he has also been profiled in international editions of the magazines Billboard and Rolling Stone. He has made multiple appearances on The Paul Santos Live Show, an ABC affiliate.
Santos’ approach to music is somewhat enigmatic. He didn’t begin writing songs until he was 19, during his sophomore year at Bridgewater State University. After he creates the lyrics to a song, he goes online and commissions musicians from around the globe to apply the music to go with the words. He guides the creation of the song, instructing the artists on the musical style he is looking for and he assists with the process until the product is completed to his liking.
The Ewreckage songs are sweet and accessible tunes that traverse the gamut of pop music, incorporating styles such as rock, folk, hip-hop, and electronica. The songs contain influences such as contemporaries like Ed Sheeran and classic stalwarts such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
Santos describes the songs on “Eric” as personal snapshots of his life experiences. The first song he ever wrote, “Ocean,” has gone on to be his most popular track. Among his lyrical influences are his Portuguese heritage. “Crystal Blue” is an homage to Portugal’s beaches, while “Madeira” is a tribute to New Bedford’s annual Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. “Stone Man” was created in the wake of a social media exchange with Sheeran, one of his favorite musical artists. Other songs capture experiences he has had with friends and family members.
Santos has been a contributing writer with the Sports Illustrated network since 2023, reporting on the Celtics, including their championship season of 2024. He’s currently covering the Philadelphia 76ers for the platform.
Since 2021, Santos has worked as a multilingual language teacher at Global Learning. A former student at the school, he has a bachelor of arts in English and secondary education from Bridgewater State University, and a master of arts in English and creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University.
Santos talked with The Light about his passions of songwriting, sportswriting and teaching young people.
New Bedford Light: How did you get into songwriting and making music?
Eric Jay Santos: I started in my sophomore year at Bridgewater State University. I was 19. I consider myself to be a writer at heart. In high school, I’d write different poems and have these other creative projects. When I set out to make my first song, I had the mentality of “I want to make the biggest pop song that I can.” I had this poem in my drawer for two or three years. I wrote it when I was 16. I commissioned a musician from Australia to work on the project, which became “Ocean.” It’s still my biggest song to this day, seven or eight years later. So, it was me taking a chance on music, and the success of “Ocean” was so great that I decided to keep going. Now, I have four full-length albums and a compilation album.
NBL: What is the creative process like for you?
EJS: I write lyrics and guide the musical direction by ear. I’ll give musicians a reference track to let them know the style I’m going for, like, “I’m looking for something similar to ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles.” They get back to me with a draft, then I’ll make changes and adjustments. That might include reworking the structure, adding an instrument, rewriting a verse. Whatever is needed to fit my vision.
NBL: What do you like about the pop music format?
EJS: I think the pop format is really accessible, but I enjoy mixing different genres throughout my discography. For example, “Keep Going” is my only rap song and “Garfunkel McWetjet” is my only comedy song. I pride myself on creating songs that are completely different from one another.
NBL: What did you grow up listening to and how have your interests evolved?
EJS: I listened mostly to classic soft rock and contemporary pop growing up. Ed Sheeran and Paul McCartney are my biggest inspirations. I believe Paul and Ed are the greatest songwriters of their respective generations. Over the years, I’ve discovered older artists like Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. It’s only recently I’ve gotten deeper into their discographies. I enjoy finding all these gems that people might not hear on current radio. I also like newer artists, like Myles Smith.
NBL: How do you think you’ve grown as a songwriter?
EJS: When I was 19, I didn’t have much life experience, so a lot of my early writing came from smaller moments, things like puppy love. Now that I’m older, my songs focus on more meaningful parts of my life. I’ve written about a dream my brother once shared with me, a snow globe my girlfriend gifted me on a trip to Tennessee, and a family party game from my dad. I try to capture memories that are important to me. I can go weeks or months before writing another song, but I usually finish lyrics in two or three days. The inspiration comes from life.
NBL: How did you arrive at the name Ewreckage?
EJS: If you take my name Eric, it rhymes with E-wreck. I added the wreckage part as an extra touch. It’s a play off my name.
NBL: What are your ambitions for your music?
EJS: I consider myself to be both an artist and a competitor, and I’m really proud to be able to compete with some of the biggest artists in the world without having a manager, a record label, or big budget. My brother designs all of my album covers. Really, the main goal is to share my art with others, make a positive impact on the world, and put out good music that stays true to myself as a person.
NBL: How did you select the songs for your Greatest Hits album?
EJS: That was a bit tricky. There were about 30 songs to choose from for the “Eric” album. I tried to select my top 10 hits, but it ended up being my top 11. “Ocean” and “Crystal Blue” are my most popular, so those were my top two. For the rest of the tracklist, I tried to stay true to what meant the most to me and what resonated the most with my audience.
NBL: How do you find the musicians to play on your songs?
EJS: I look online. I might listen through hundreds of demos before finding an artist that catches my attention. I’ve worked with musicians from all over the world, like Australia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, South Africa, and England. This method lets me take on an array of genres and styles. For example, some of my tracks are based on The Beatles, some have Ed Sheeran influence, some have Post Malone influence. That’s one advantage of being a producer — I can be a musical chameleon.
NBL: Why do you write about Portugal and Portuguese culture?
EJS: I consider New Bedford to be a slice of Portugal. We have so many Portuguese influences in the area. I’m actually Madeiran on my dad’s side, and my mom was born in Angola when it was a Portuguese colony. She works as a Portuguese teacher at New Bedford High School. Although I wasn’t born in Portugal, I’m proud of my heritage. My song “Madeira” is about my feelings going to the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. I see these colorful flags, bands playing, people hugging and smiling. It’s a really festive time. I feel like that’s as close as we’ve gotten to world peace in New Bedford, those four days of the year.
NBL: How did you get the opportunity to write for Sports Illustrated?
EJS: I’ve been a basketball fan for my whole life. I started sports writing back in 2020, covering the Houston Rockets for SB Nation. After gaining three years of experience, I reached out to Sports Illustrated-affiliated sites to cover any NBA team. I was just looking for an opportunity. I sent 50 emails and ended up getting two or three back. Fortunately, one of those emails was from the manager of the Boston Celtics’ site for Sports Illustrated’s network. For that two-year period between 2023 and 2024, it was amazing to cover the Celtics and see them win an NBA championship. I interviewed players, covered their games, and pitched original content. Some of my favorite interviews were with David Ortiz, Jrue Holiday, and Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck. I’m now covering the Philadelphia 76ers within the Sports Illustrated network.
NBL: What are your ambitions for sports writing? What are you looking forward to?
EJS: I’d say my greatest ambition is to continue having my voice part of the basketball community. I feel like writing under the Sports Illustrated banner is a great platform. I enjoy analyzing teams, conducting interviews, pitching trade ideas, and outside-the-box ideas that come with the job. I’m looking forward to another season of NBA basketball.
NBL: How do you report on the games? Do you attend or do you watch them on TV?
EJS: With the rise of technology, the industry is trending towards remote work. I’ve been able to do a lot of my writing right from home. I started covering the 76ers in June. Even though I’m not from that area, the games and press conferences are all televised. I also get invited to press events. I’ve been invited to events for Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, though other obligations have limited my national travel.
NBL: Does your sports writing job pay well?
EJS: This is something I’d do for free, as a hobby, but the pay is pretty decent as a side job. Being able to teach and do sports writing at the same time feels like a dream come true. I did a lot of free work covering the Boston Celtics before I was offered a paid job though. I paid my dues.
A lot of days last year, I would go into school, teach for eight hours, come home, spend two hours on my postgraduate work — I earned my master’s degree in January — and then cover a Celtics game at night. Some nights, I wouldn’t get to bed until one or two in the morning.
NBL: What are the rewards of teaching and what are the challenges?
EJS: There are a lot of challenges in teaching. You have to get the students invested in learning. The world puts a lot of pressure on young people during such a confusing stage of their lives. They’re trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do. I believe everybody has something to bring to the table, but sometimes that potential isn’t self-realized.
The reward comes when that connection happens. There’s plenty of day-to-day chaos in the job, but those small moments of appreciation and understanding make me feel like I’m making a difference. I just want to have a positive impact on their lives.
NBL: You’re a teacher, a sportswriter and a songwriter. What are your ambitions and goals for the future?
EJS: I’ve always wanted to be a sportswriter, I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, and I’ve always wanted to be a songwriter. To be able to do these three things at the same time, it feels like the pieces are coming nicely together.
As far as what’s up next, there’s a new school year ahead of me and a new NBA season ahead of me. I’m also in the process of putting together a documentary.
The documentary will be about how I made the “Eric” album, talking about the songwriting process and parts of my life that happened from 2019 to 2025. It will definitely be on YouTube. I’d like to try to pitch it to different networks. I’ll have to roll with it and see what happens.
Sean McCarthy is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to The New Bedford Light.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Congratulations to Eric Jay Santos on all his success as a teacher, sports writer and a song writer. It’s nice to read a great story about a New Bedford Resident who at the age of 26 is doing so well, enjoying his life, and making so many contributions in so many areas. Wishing Eric the best always.